Cable armor cutter



Jan. 17,i 1933. A. P.` TALLMADGE CABLE ARMOR CUTTER Filed Feb. a, 1932y 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Sig Jan. 17, 1933. l A. P. TALLMADGE 2 sheets-sheet '2 CABLE ARMOR GUTTER Filed Feb. 8, 1952 20 ting stroke.

Patented Jan. 17, 1933V p NlTED STATES PATENT .ol-FICE ANDREW I. TALLMAneE, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or coLUnRIA CABLE ARMOR CUTTER Application filed February 8, 1932.V Seria1`N'o. 591,697.

The object of. this inventionis to provide a tool or implement for cutting a commercial type of spirally wound armor .for electric wires or conductors, and for other purposes.

A further object is to provide avtool by means of which the armor may be cut or slotted longitudinally for a sulicient distance to permitl of the subsequent separation of adjacent portions manually or mechanically-this distance being usuallythat required `merely to lcut two spirals or convolutions in one o eration of the lever referred to below.

`.A urther object is to provide an implement by means of which the armoris first firmly grippedA between opposing jaws, and

immediately thereafter is slottdor slit longitudinally, the two ste'psbeing the result of a single movement of the operating lever which carries a' knife for producing the cutfurther object is to provide for an eccentric movement of the cutting edge.

A further object is to limity the movement of the knife, in order to avoid.' damage to the insulation,if the armor incloses af conductor.

A further object is to provide adjusting means for one of the jaws, termed the stationary member, and tolcontrol the other jaw by a cam movement of the end portion of I the lever.

With the foregoing' and other obj ects in view, the inventlon consists in the novel construction and arrangement of lelements dis-v closed, and in the method herein set forth,-`

" it being understood that changes or alterations may be-made within the scope of the claims without departing'from lthe spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view of the tool in side elevation, with the ends of the handles broken away. j 1

Figure 2 is a View in vertical longitudinal section, simi-lar portions being broken away.

been raised by causing the operating lever or handle to assume the position shown'in this "o tion.

tallic structure,fywithout displacing the abutof yoke form, Aand Figure 3 is also a vertical longitudinal sec-4' view, and the knife being in operative posif Figure 4 is a horizontal section, on line 4--4 of Figure 3. y Figure 5 is a vertical section on line 5--5 of Figure 3. w n Figure 6 is a detail view, showing the up- U per armor-clamping member in top plan.

Figure 7 is al detail 'View showing the end of the lever carrying the cutter. A Figure 8 is a perspective view of the main frame lin inverted position.. C3 Figure 9 shows a 'length of armor after having beenl slotted by the 'tool, and after the latter has separated or severed the me# ting ends. 3

Figure 10 shows the detached sections of the armorafter .separation tlnereof. v

It is a common practice to cut armor o-4 this type with a hack saw, and sometimes by r the use of other means involving a still more crude procedure. A number of strokes with a saw are required, and the workman may often be under the necessity of resting the armor against his knee orthigh, in executing an unsatisfactory job, always involving "0 the expenditure of time, as distinguished from the present method 4of doing the work instantly and without thepossibility of personal injury or damage to the conductor` if the latter has previously been inserted in .the S3 tube. l

. In carrying out the invention, I employ a-I main frame 1'0, such as that shown in Figure 8 and elsewhere, this frame being formed on u or connected with a handle 11, and flanged C) reinforcing means being provided at 11 and 12. vThe frame includes end portions 13, 13 a connecting element 14, which in Figures 1 and 2 appears at the top of each view. An operating lever is mount- 'd ed by means of a pivot screw orthe like passing through elements 1'1 and 12, the leverY v being designated 15 and the pivot being .shown at 16. v I. The lever 15 is provided with a cam end 17 which should be approximately of the proportions illustrated, and a knife or cutter 18 is held .within a slot 19 by means of a pin or rivet 20. VThe form of the cutter is also importantpand likewise the position of thev cutting edge with reference to that portion of the cam 17 which directly contacts with 'a movable clamping jaw 21. Thedrawing shows that the cam has hub-like'relation to the cutter. .I

This jaw 21 is slotted longitudinally, at 21 for the accommodation of the knife and the jaw includes lugs 22 cooperating with lugs 23 on the main frame, whereby the jaw is limited in movement, but allowed to float so that it may be thrown by cam 17 into positive engagement with the armor, when the tool is positioned for use. The lugs 23 are therefore to be considered as stops; but as the element clamped also determinesthe eX- tent of movement of jaw 21, members 23 serve, when the tool is not in active use, lto prevent displacement or loss of the floating member. 4,

Both jaws are to be grooved-transversely in approximately the manner shown, the grooves conforming, if desired, to the adjacent portions of the spirals of the armor, and under these circumstances there can be no danger that the armor will slip or' move in a longitudinal direction during the cuttlng operation. The cam vaction 1s also an y important part of the clamping function.

rlhe upper jaw 25 is slotted transversely at 25 and a plate 26 retained for instance by a screw 27,'serves'to hold 4the heads of screws j 28. within the grooves, the jaw being retained in an adjustedpositi'on by nuts 29 engaging the threaded portions of thescrews. It is obvious that `the upper jaw may be adjusted and then held in a fixed position, providing for variation in size of the armor.

Upper and lower outer plates 30, 31, secured to the main frame, eitend alongside of the jaws, and are removable, thus affording access to the elements mounted within the frame'per se. n the opposite side of the frame a slidable plate 33 is held by friction (or otherwise) within or inwardly from lugs 34, and the lower portion of the plate may be delectedoutwardly to provide means for manipulation. This plate 33 also serves as a cover plateJor closure. Figure shows that the ends of the screws 28 are slotted,for engagement by a tool when .adjustment ofthe upper'jawis being made: l

The armor to be cut is surrounded by the tool, or by the yokes 13, 13 of the frame, and using one hand only for the direct cut, the workman throws lever from right to left (Figures 1, 2, 3), lcam 17 first engaging the lower jaw and raising the latter to clamping position, and a continuation of the same stroke of the lever moves the knife or cutter 18 to operative position.

' not less than two turns of the spiral, as in The cutter thus 1 passes through the wall of the armor and cuts ,ping relation ofthe spirial elements or indi- 'vidual turns or convolutions. The armor 1s then readily` separated by hand, or under special conditions may be separated mechanically, as by the use of an implement of any suitable type.

The foregoing description of the operation l V ments for receiving and clamping a length of cable armor therebetween, one of these elements having an opening therein, a cutting element for slotting the armor longitudinally, the cutting element being movable through the opening, and unitary means for throwing the cutting element and the element having said opening into operative position successively by a single stroke of'said means.

2. A structure comprising the elements of claim 1, the elements first named constituting opposing clampin jaws, one of which is floating, and the ot er of which is adjustable.

3. A structure comprising the elements of claim` 1, in which said unitary means for throwingy the cutter includes a cam havin hub-like relation to the cutter, the cam and cutter being movable about the same axis,

and the cam engaging the element having' -the opening for the cutter.

4. ln a Vdevice of the class described, a frame, means for supporting the frame, opposing jaws mounted in the frame, a cutting blade movable into the Work when j the latter is clamped by the jaws, and operating means for mounting and actuating the blade, the operating means engaging one of the jaws and effecting the clamping movement thereof, before producing the cutting operation.

'5. ln a device of the class described, a frame, means for suporting the frame, opposing jaws mounted in the frame, meansfor moving one of the jaws toward the other, for clamping the work, and a cutter carried by the jaw operating means, for cutting into the work soclamped, and movable to operative vclaim 4, the movable jaw being slotted, and

the blade passing through the slot of this jaw.

In testimony whereof I lhave aiixed my signature.

ANDREW P. TALLMADGE. 

